Dining Out: Enjoy large plates of Lebanese food at Chicky Baba

Wednesday

Jul 9, 2014 at 12:01 AMJul 9, 2014 at 11:51 PM

DANIELLE HATCH of the Journal Star

PEORIA — Chicky Baba, the new Lebanese eatery in Campustown, serves large platters of food at decent prices. The interior is roomy and neat, and the parking is plentiful. Also a plus — if you’re a customer, but not if you’re the owner — there doesn’t seem to be much of a lunch rush during the week.

Not sure why this is. Maybe because Bradley University is out for the summer, maybe because people aren’t yet aware of the new tenant. But it makes for a timely lunch stop.

The spot was formerly home to La Bamba burrito, and it seems neater and roomier, with a mix of tables and booths for seating.

The menu includes dishes such as kibbeh (beef mixed with wheat, spices and onions), beef kabobs and steak shawarma (shaved steak and lamb), as well as salads, tabouli and eight different varieties of hummus (eight!), from basil pesto to jalapeno to roasted red pepper.

You order at the counter, fill your soda cup ($1.59) from a fountain station and take a seat. They bring the food to your table without much ado.

We started with three grape leaves, little rolls packed with rice and spices (three for $2.99). They tasted faintly of mint and a pleasant tang of vinegar.

My friend ordered the falafel platter ($10.99), six nicely sized patties of deep-fried ground chickpeas, fava beans, parsley and spices. They were light on the spices — not quite bland, but definitely of mild flavor. The patties came resting on a bed of shredded lettuce, with pickle spears and tomato slices. My other falafel experiences have consisted of three or four patties to an order. Six patties to an order is extremely generous.

I had the chicken shawarma platter ($11.49), a large plate of shaved chicken served with rice, red onion, tomatoes and a pickle. The chicken had good flavor but was very dry. I dipped the pieces in a side of garlic dipping sauce (included with the meal), which was extremely potent and addictive.

Both meals came with their homemade pita bread, which is the size of a dinner plate, puffy and served warm.

On another visit to Chicky Baba, the spicy feta fries ($3.09) stood out. The plate of skin-on fries were pretty standard, but came with a small cup of a zippy dipping sauce with feta cheese and tomato as the base — delicious.

There’s good food here. Not sure where the lunchtime customers are, but hopefully word will get out.